Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix News

MotoGP is the premier motorcycle racing world championship; an 18-race series visiting 14 countries, four continents and with pan-global television coverage. Seven nationalities of the world’s most skilled riders line a grid armed with cutting-edge motorcycle technology with prototype machinery fielded by four manufacturers: Ducati, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki.

CBS Sports Network has scheduled a SuperBike weekend for August 2 – 4, 2013. The AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races from last weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be featured as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular in a three-hour primetime special on CBS Sports Network beginning Friday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT).

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., is pleased to announce its complete schedule of customer-focused activities for the July 19-21 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

Many of the activities during the weekend will take place in the Yamaha Marketplace, which is located in the track infield between turns 5 and 6 at the Raceway. This will be the 8th consecutive year for the Yamaha Marketplace and for Yamaha’s ongoing partnership with the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The ground-breaking FIM eRoadRacing World Cup will launch its U.S. series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, July 21 as part of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix race weekend.
The next generation of motorsport will see electrically-powered motorcycles from Europe and the U.S. compete for a place in the FIM eRoadRacing World Final in Asia.
FIM eRoadRacing is the world’s premier electric motorsport series officially sanctioned by the FIM, the worldwide governing body of motorcycle racing, and includes races across three continents.

Valentino Rossi’s superb Assen victory and the heroics of his World Champion teammate Jorge Lorenzo at round seven on Saturday had some of the world’s leading media outlets and social media networks buzzing with praise after the race.

The highly respected UK based newspaper The Guardian ran the headline ‘Valentino Rossi rolls back the years with victory in Dutch MotoGP’, going on to state that ‘Rossi celebrated his first victory since returning to Yamaha and his 80th win in the premier class.’

The roaring sounds of motorcycle engines will meet the soothing sounds of the Caribbean this year, as race fans attending the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be treated to the reggae-styling of The Original Wailers.

The Original Wailers will be performing on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m. on the GE Capital Financial Stage in the Yamaha Marketplace at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The concert is the highlighted concluding act after a full day of motorcycle racing action. The concert is free to all ticketed Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix visitors.

Bell Helmets and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, today unveiled a commemorative helmet in honor of the 2013 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, taking place July 19-21 at the famed Northern California raceway. A limited run of the helmet will be available for purchase online during the weeks leading up to the event, as well as onsite during race weekend at the Mazda Raceway Superstore, while supplies last.

Race fans attending this year’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be treated to a rockin’ national anthem.

Guitar legend and multi-platinum selling artist Joe Satriani is set to serenade the grid this year as he performs the Star-Spangled Banner at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, July 21. Satriani will perform from the track just prior to the three-day event’s premier contest, the MotoGP™ World Championship race.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo went fastest in a dramatic day of free practices at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM in Mugello ahead of teammate Valentino Rossi and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow, as Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez escaped serious injury in a high-speed accident at the end of the fast start/finish straight.

Yamaha Factory Racing set up for their ‘home’ race in Italy this weekend for the Gran Premio d’Italia at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello near Florence. Nestled deep in the Tuscan hills, the Mugello circuit is just over 300km from the team’s base in Gerno di Lesmo, near Milan. The track is a favourite for both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, with each scoring multiple victories across classes. Lorenzo can claim one 250cc win, two second place premier class finishes in 2009 and 2010 and the last two consecutive premier class victories in 2011 and 2012.

The circuit holds one of the longest traditions of Grand Prix racing on the current MotoGP schedule…

- Le Mans has hosted a Grand Prix event on 25 previous occasions, including the Grand Prix ‘Vitesse du Mans’ in 1991, which was the only year in which two Grand Prix events have been held in France during a single season.

- Le Mans was first used for a Grand Prix event in 1969, when the 500 race was won by Giacomo Agostini who lapped all other riders in the race on his MV Agusta.

Dani Pedrosa clinched his maiden victory of this year’s MotoGP™ World Championship, winning the Gran Premio bwin de España on Sunday, as teammate Marc Marquez spiced up proceedings by barging past Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo for second place in the final corner.

On only his second MotoGP™ race weekend, 20-year-old Marc Marquez has achieved pole position for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. The Repsol Honda Team rider led teammate Dani Pedrosa, as championship leader Jorge Lorenzo appeared to miscalculate his final run en route to third place.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo led the way in the first free practice session of the 2013 MotoGP™ season under floodlights at the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar on Thursday ahead of Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow and Yamaha Factory teammate Valentino Rossi.

The long winter wait is over as Yamaha Factory Racing prepare this week for the first race of the 2013 MotoGP season, The Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit. The unique night-time race schedule will mean that the first practice session of the weekend will happen in just one day’s time, on Thursday 04th April.

Yamaha Factory Racing launched their 2013 colours in front of the world’s MotoGP Media at the Jerez de La Frontera Circuit in Spain.

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and returning teammate Valentino Rossi were on-hand to reveal their 2013 liveries in the Yamaha Factory Racing pit garage before joining a press conference with some of Yamaha’s top management to answer questions for the media.

As MotoGP™ prepares to start the 2013 season, motorcycle racing fans are snatching up the limited number of hospitality and VIP suites in anticipation of the return of their favorite riders to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, featuring the MotoGP™ World Championship roars back onto the Monterey Peninsula July 19-21, 2013, bringing with it fans from around the globe.

Beginning at 8 a.m. (PST) motorcycle enthusiasts can log on to MazdaRaceway.com or call 800-327-7322 to purchase general admission, reserved grandstand seats, parking and paddock passes for the MotoGP World Championship’s return to the Monterey Peninsula.

The MotoGP™ World Championship will make its ninth consecutive appearance at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 19-21, 2013. The current agreement calls for the MotoGP World Championship series to continue at the highly acclaimed circuit through at least 2014.

At this weekend’s Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera de Rimini in Misano it was Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo who charged to a dominant victory in a dramatic race ahead of Valentino Rossi and Álvaro Bautista.

Ending weeks of speculation, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd announced today that Valentino Rossi has signed on to ride for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP™ team for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Rossi won four of his seven MotoGP™ World Champion titles while with Yamaha. He will once again join teammate and rival, current MotoGP™ Championship points leader and 2010 World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo in the Yamaha garage.

Riders for Health, the official charity of MotoGP™, raised $38,000 last weekend at its annual fundraiser at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. This unique, day-long event hosted by grand prix legend and co-founder of Riders for Health, Randy Mamola, began with a beautiful motorcycle tour of Carmel Valley and stop at the Robert Talbott winery. Participants returned to Mazda Raceway for a delicious catered lunch.

That is, the historic numbers two-time defending AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes continues to accumulate as he storms through the ‘12 campaign in unprecedented fashion.

The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha-backed superstar was untouchable once again as he continued to run roughshod over the competition at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with the MotoGP World Championship paddock watching on shortly after contesting the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.

The MotoGP™ contingent was greeted by sunny Californian skies as it took to the Laguna Seca circuit for the first two practice sessions of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on Friday, where Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa set the pace in the afternoon session ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner.

On the eve of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca at Thursday’s press conference, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies, joined by championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, confirmed that he will be leaving the team at the end of the year, yet remained tight-lipped on his plans for 2013. This has subsequently sent so-called “silly season” into overdrive with regards to riders’ contracts, especially with Ducati Team’s Rossi considering his future options for next year.

A Place for Everything and Everything in its PlaceLogistics are the Key

For the hundreds of workers and volunteers at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca it is crunch time. There are just two days to get the final small pieces in place for this week’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. For the professional race staff of Dorna, the sanctioning body for MotoGP™, the majority of their set up is complete and they are ready for a successful race.

In advance of this weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Yamaha MotoGP riders are visiting Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., headquarters today. And a visit to the U.S. mother ship wouldn’t be complete without taking part in a video to commemorate the occasion.

Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, along with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso were caught in action, each with their own Hemi-powered Dodge Challengers, which will also play a starring role in the soon-to-be-released video.

With 140,000 spectators expected over three days for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, an extensive plan has been put in to place to offset their impact on the community.

The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), the not-for profit organization that manages the race events at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, has teamed up with The Offset Project, a local 501(c)3 dedicated to environmental stewardship at regional events and business.

AMA Pro Road Racing will once again be featured alongside the international stars of MotoGP this weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as part of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. The international event held at the legendary 2.238-mile natural road course in Monterey, Calif. is a huge weekend for all things motorcycle road racing, and is the place to be on this July weekend for fans who want to sample the very best in the sport from famous vantage points like the legendary Corkscrew or Ducati Island.

Following a hectic European race schedule, the MotoGP™ premier-class is making its way to sunny California to contest the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend, with Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo looking to extend his lead at the top of the championship standings.

America’s rising motorcycle stars will be out in full support of the MotoGP™ World Championship at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. AMA Pro Racing brings their own fan following with a strong group of well-known competitors, as well as some of the brightest newcomers.

The Red Bull United States Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca starts the second half of the World Championship season. It also provides Nicky Hayden (Owensboro, KY), Ben Spies (Memphis, TN) and Colin Edwards (Houston, TX) a brief return home from the grueling international travel demands. MotoGP™ teams travel to 18 circuits between April 8 (Qatar) and November 9 (Spain).

Steve Rapp may be a name that has a strong association with the AMA racing series, yet now he is taking a leap onto the world stage in the MotoGP™ series with two wildcard appearances on board his Attack Performance CRT machine.

All Eyes on UsMazda Raceway Laguna Seca Prepares to be the Focus of the World

There is a phenomenal following around the world for MotoGP™. The combination of amazing overtaking maneuvers, speeds of up to 200 mph and ecstatic and often elaborate victory celebrations continue to attract more and more fans each year to the competitive motorcycle racing that is MotoGP™.

The MotoGP™ classes encountered glorious sunshine, torrential rain and an incredibly dramatic last lap at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring, where Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa took his first victory of the season in front of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl has high expectations heaped on him by an excited home crowd and in today’s first day of practices at Sachsenring circuit the premier class rookie gave his local fans something to celebrate as he set the second fastest lap time in the wet behind Pedrosa.

The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring the MotoGP World Championship July 27-29 offers a variety of off-track action to complement the competition of world premier motorcycle racing.

Throughout the weekend there will be live music, rider Q&As and autograph sessions, stunt shows and plenty of kids activities including demo rides, the Strider Cup Adventure Zone and MY Museum’s Wheelie Mobilee in the family-friendly Yamaha Marketplace.

The MotoGP paddock arrives in The Netherlands this week for the only Saturday race of the year, The Assen TT on the 30th June. Yamaha Factory rider Jorge Lorenzo arrives at the Assen circuit having won the last three consecutive races and leading the Championship by 25 points. The Dutch circuit is a favourite of his, having won there in all three Grand Prix classes.

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Ben Spies was quick to find his form this afternoon in the first day of practice for the Grand Prix of Great Britain at the Silverstone circuit. Despite a small crash at turn 15 in the morning wet session, Spies was back out and fast from the start in the afternoon as the sun came out. Having led for most of the session the Texan wrapped up day one in second just 0.034 seconds behind Casey Stoner in first.

It is with great pleasure that Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd can confirm the extension of Jorge Lorenzo’s contract to ride for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team for 2013 and 2014.

Jorge Lorenzo joined Yamaha in 2008, achieving fourth place in his first season and claiming the Rookie of the Year title. He was then second in 2009, went on to become MotoGP World Champion in 2010 and was second again in 2011.

Looking for a unique way to do some laps around the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca track? Take to the sky for a bird’s eye view of the race action with Specialized Helicopters. During the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring the MotoGP World Championship July 27-29, helicopter rides will be available for just $40 per person or $100 for three passengers.

The Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha team is pleased to announce that Tommy Hayden will continue to compete for the team in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike throughout the entirety of the 2012 season, and he will also be racing a YZF-R6 carrying the #22, Tommy’s iconic, signature number. The announcement was made by Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo retook the championship lead once again at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France as he dominated in tricky conditions, finishing ahead of Valentino Rossi, who recorded his best Ducati result ever.

Reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Casey Stoner confirmed on Thursday that he would retire from the sport at the end of the 2012 season.

The Repsol Honda rider addressed the media at the start of the official pre-event press conference for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, making a short statement in which he outlined the reasons behind his decision.

Speaking about Valentino Rossi’s seventh place at last weekend’s Grande Prémio de Portugal Circuito Estoril, he said: “I think the result yesterday is based mainly on the small steps taken between one practice session and the next, keeping the same basic bike set-up and just trying to solve the small problems that you have practice by practice. Of course the result is better than before, but it is not at the level we are expecting, so we know we have to close the gap.”

MotoGP™ championship leader Jorge Lorenzo was joined by reigning World Champion Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden, Cal Crutchlow and CRT rider Randy de Puniet at the press conference marking the second MotoGP round at the Gran Premio bwin de España in Jerez.

Factory Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, who has enjoyed significant success at the Spanish track over the years, taking the last two wins here in the premier class, is confident ahead of Sunday’s race and is looking to extend his lead at the top of the standings.

After a dazzling start to the 2012 season under the floodlights of Qatar, the MotoGP paddock returns to Europe for the Gran Premio bwin de España at the Jerez circuit. Yamaha Factory Racing arrive in confident mood following an inspired start to the Championship from rider Jorge Lorenzo. The Mallorcan claimed an historic victory for the first ever 1000cc MotoGP race, also his first at Qatar in the premier class. The Andalucian circuit is a favourite for Lorenzo with two successive 250cc wins in 2006 and 2007 and two premier class victories in 2010 and 2011.

Attack Performance, manufacturer of precision racing components, has been granted “wild-card” entries for both North American rounds of the 2012 MotoGP World Championship, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 27-29, and the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, August 17-19.

This Sunday sees the long awaited and hugely anticipated season opening race of the 2012 MotoGP™ Championship at the Losail circuit in Qatar. Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies will line up on the grid under the spectacular floodlights alongside their rivals for the first true test of the 1000cc era. A strong winter testing period with very competitive times means both riders arrive in Qatar confident in the abilities of their all-new 1000cc YZR-M1 as they set their sights on the podium.

Riders for Health, the official charity of MotoGP, and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, have announced that 50 VIP guests will spend the day meeting MotoGP stars, touring the MotoGP paddock, and discovering the stunning Carmel Valley. Day of Stars is held on Thursday, July 26, before the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. And, as well as getting your race weekend off to the best possible start, you will be raising money for Riders for Health.

Once an underground phenomenon, freestyle riders now merit center stage. Three of their stars will perform at the Freestyle Street Extreme in the Yamaha Marketplace during the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring the MotoGP World Championship July 27-29.

The Jerez circuit was the setting for the official presentation of the 2012 YZR-M1 on Thursday, as the Yamaha Factory Racing team unveiled its livery for the forthcoming campaign.

On the eve of the final pre-season MotoGP™ Test at the track, Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies were in attendance to show off their 2012 machines to the press which had assembled in the Yamaha team box, and both riders expressed their delight at the new-look M1.

The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring the MotoGP World Championship returns to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for its eighth consecutive year with a new sponsor, Law Tigers, offering free helmet and leather check tents for visiting fans. Staffed and secured, the tents will be prominently located at key motorcycle parking lots.

Elena Myers claims second career AMA victory, first female winner at Daytona.

Elena Myers, who rode Suzuki’s GSV-R bike on the eve of last year’s Indianapolis Grand Prix, took another small step towards her dream of becoming the first female MotoGP rider by making history at Daytona.

“Any girl in MotoGP would be good, but I hope I’m the first,” said Myers after the Indianapolis appearance. “That’s my goal, and I’m trying hard every day to get there.”

The Strider Adventure Zone will return to family friendly Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on July 27 to 29. For budding young cyclists who love having fun with a competitive edge, Strider Adventure Zone will host the Strider Cup race on Sunday, July 29.

Strider makes no-pedal bikes that help toddlers learn balance and coordination before pedaling, which develops confidence and bike handling skills. Children from 18 months to five years of age will have a chance to experience riding at the Strider Adventure Zone.

Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies were the star guests this afternoon for the ‘First Ever’ International MotoXpo Show in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The MotoGP riders arrived in Malaysia early for the second of the two Sepang tests to attend the event as guests of Hong Leong Yamaha Motor.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team completed the first test of the 2012 season at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies spent the three track days working to develop the base set up of the 1000cc YZR-M1 ahead of the second Sepang test in one month’s time.

There is so much to see and do when visiting Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, whether it’s making a quick overnight stop to see a race, or if you’re making a weekend of it and checking out all the cool attractions in the Monterey County area.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca offers some of the coolest apparel in all of motor racing, from wind-breakers and sweatshirts, to ball caps and jackets. Be sure to visit the track souvenir store and make your choice.

There are numerous ways to get your brand noticed through a marketing and advertising program with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, either through a custom-built official partnership all the way up to an event title sponsorship.